to think that women who are a size 6/8/10 are permanently on a diet?

[SabineUndine]

I don't mean diet as in counting every calorie, but diet as in they hardly eat any carbs and don't eat cakes, biscuits etc more than a couple of times a year? I am not a thin person (you guessed?) and I look at what my really slim female colleagues eat and it's salads with no carbs and just a tiny bit of protein, or soup or smoothies. Is that what it takes to be a thin person?

I'm a size 10 and I was on a diet after having my 2nd child as I had got somewhat larger than I liked due to breastfeeding making me so sodding hungry all the time. I have reached my target and am now just being sensible. I don't just eat salads as I hate them and do I let myself have treats, but I balance it off by not eating massive portions of anything. I try and make sure there's a good bit of protein in my lunch so I'm less likely to snack all afternoon.

Size 10. I'm anxious, with a fast metabolism. Eat crisps every day because if I don't I lose weight. Don't really like cake but partial to biscuits.

I eat cake and biscuits every day. Quite a lot if it to be honest. I am most definitely not healthy. I walk quite a lot but gave never done proper exercise or been to a gym. I don't drink though.

But for some reason I am a size 8 and 5 foot 9. The only time I put on weight is when I'm pregnant (4 stone both times) but breast feeding seems to make it all come off.

I've been an 8-10 for 2 years now, down from a size 16. I eat pretty much the same food as I did then, except that now I have smaller portions of it (ie a normal portion) and I exercise/walk everywhere.

Worra - in my head you are a size 14!

Some people are just lucky in that they can eat what they want and not get fat, but I'm a 10 and it takes loads of effort to stay that way. I could so easily be much bigger, but it don't want to be so I am conscious of what I eat. I do eat cake and have a biscuit and chocolate most days, I just have to remember not to overdo it.

unless they are underweight, then they're not actually on a diet.

Odd interpretation of a diet.

Some will be, some won't.

Of the slim women I know, some deliberately regulate their intake and others just only feel like eating the food that keeps them at the same weight.

I agree with the emotional eating thing to an extent.

I'm a 12/14 after baby, and I piled most of the weight on in the last two weeks as she went over due and I could feel my homebirth slipping away. I just ate everything I was so sad and out of control.

My size 6/8 best friend eats like crazy, but when you really watch her, she never eats without thinking, ever. She always stops when she's full and is always the last to finish a meal.

It just wouldn't occur to her to eat for comfort.

I'm a size 10. I eat ridiculous amounts of food, probably 3000 calories a day.
But weight also depends on height and activity levels, not just what you eat.

I'm a size 6-8 and to be honest yes, I do control what I eat because all my clothes fit me fairly exactly (i.e. are not loose fitting) and I can't afford to replace them. Also I have a sedentary job and do little to no exercise. I don't think I'm particularly skinny though.

So jealous of women that can eat what they like! So unfair. I'm a size 10/12 but more a 12. I need lose 10 pounds before get back prr baby weight but it's hard...

My boss is like a size 0 and lives on salad and fish and is permanently in the gym. Another chum is just a natural skinny and eats like a pig. I look at food and gain ten stone!

Nope, size 8 and trying to put weight on. I eat more than anyone else I know, make or female. It's not always desirable to be 'skinny'.

Worra - in my head you are a size 14!

You could have made me a lottery winner, a supermodel or business woman of the year but instead you chose to make me overweight?!

Bastard!

I have a history of anorexia/bulimia so can't speak for myself. However my mum was always a size 8/10 and ate like a champ! If I were to guess I would say she ate about 3000/3500 kcal a day. Even at 50 she's still a size 12 and eats the same.

I'm a 10. Never had to worry about my weight, ever. That is changing as I get older though and I'm having to start to keep an eye on things.
My jeans are tight at the moment and it's putting me in a v bad mood

I don't think they consciously diet, but eat what larger sizes may consider a diet (not everyone- I'm making a big generalisation). I absolutely LOVE my lunch of egg and tuna every day and will always have a Niçoise salad (Mmm) if I see it on a menu when I'm out, so many people think I'm being restrictive and colleagues say 'is that all you're having?'but for me it's just right.

Worra - you were a size 14 supermodel with an extensive business portfolio started after your lottery win!

I'm 5'4" and a size 8.

It's not a 'permanent diet' it's called moderation. I eat what I want to a point, but I like being a size 8 and I don't want to get my dads diabetes so eventually I put the cake down.

Of course they aren't. What nonsense - people naturally come in a range of shapes and sizes. It's also possible to be very slim but have a high body fat percentage so the whole fat/thin/fit/healthy/unhealthy debate is much more complicated than people give it credit for.

I am not a thin person, I just don't envy those who are.

Same here DeadGood. It's much harder to keep the weight off than it was 20 years ago!

I'm a size 10 and and definitely not on a diet. But like others I am always on the go so I guess I burn off the crap I eat. I have no time to relax when I have 3 boys who are 1, 3 and 5!

Word

Portion size will be a lot of it, along with activity levels. the main difference I see between slim and bigger people is that the bigger people often eat twice as much or more than the slimmer people, who eat what they want but just less of it.

Day to day activity - most of the people I work with drive there despite living 1-2 miles away and would never consider walking or cycling even though it would probably solve their weight problems.

Slim people who don't diet probably never eat any fat free full of shite processed food, which probably doesn't help anyone lose weight.